Unfiltered Coast

Outline
Young people in coastal communities are at the front line of climate change but are underserved with the cultural and science capital needed to mobilise them towards climate action. Through creative practice workshops taking place in site-specific locations, the 'Unfiltered Coast' project will empower young people in these hard-to-reach communities. It will engage them with the effects of climate change, encourage them to consider their place in and influence on the evolving environment, and inspire them to engage in research that will help communicate and tackle climate change issues. 'Unfiltered Coast' will use the vast Kent coastline as a pilot, building towards national engagement as part of the project's legacy.

Research
Given the multi-disciplinary team, the project connects to various strands of research across the Arts and Humanities and Natural Sciences. This includes:
1) Representational strategies (audio-visual and literary) that support, strengthen or subvert understandings of places, including the inseparability of humans and their environs
2) Arts-led environmental activism, especially that which centres around blue and green space
3) Best practice community-engaged research that engages underserved audiences
4) Sustainable materials science, agriculture and energy research towards a circular economy

Aims
1) to encourage a connection between young people and their coastal locations, promoting a sense of responsibility towards its environs and ecology
2) to fuel an interest in climate research, inspiring young people via a range of methods that includes creative practice
3) to facilitate young people in their exploration and communication of climate challenges
4) to motivate young people to continue arts-led climate activism

Activities
The project's activity centres on two creative practice 'walkshops' taking place along the Kent coast. These will be co-designed with a newly established youth-led Climate Change Working Group in the first month of the project. Self-audits will occur before and after the 'walkshops' as part of the engagement activity and our evaluation methods. Creative outputs emerging from the 'walkshops' will feed into an end-of-project exhibition to coincide with COP26. This will take place in a Ramsgate venue and tour to our partner organisation's venue in Canterbury. There will also be an end-of-project forum for the participating young people to engage with local policymakers. Data collected and the repository of outputs will be collated as a digital repository that will allow youth communities in other coastal parts of the UK to engage with and add to the data.

Target Audience and Project Partner
The project will involve young people aged 14-18 who live in coastal areas in Kent. As evidenced in the plan document, these coastal areas are especially vulnerable to climate change and related environmental factors as well as the resulting socio-economic implications. Coastal areas in Kent have a high number of young people considered hard to reach, with low cultural and science capital, poor access to higher education and limited opportunities to engage with climate action. We will reach these audiences via already existing youth networks, such as ART31, which is facilitated by our Project Partner - the Gulbenkian. A youth-led working group will be established early on in the project to ensure a bottom-up approach to the project throughout its timeline.

Outcomes and Potential Impact
The activity will serve to increase the sense of responsibility felt by young people to their coastal environs. It will increase confidence in the participants to take part in climate conversations. It will develop unique opportunities for young people to engage in art-led climate activism. It will bridge the gap between young people and researchers, aiming to break down preconceived notions about academic work. It has the potential to raise public awareness and influence policy.